GOG WITH A BLOG: Labour hypocrisy over Post Office closures!

GOG WITH A BLOG: Labour hypocrisy over Post Office closures!

Cambria launches new political blog

A new political blog has been launched by Cambria Wales' National Magazine.

The main editor and contributor to this blog is Clive Betts who is based daily in the Cardiff Assembly building in the Bay and so is well placed to report on all the news, rumours and gossip.

Clive has been for many years Wales' foremost political journalist. Previously with the Western Mail and now a freelancer, entering the 'blogosphere' gives him much more flexibility and independence from London based editorial interference.

The people of Wales deserve better scrutiny of Assembly politicians, what they get up to with tax payers money and whose 'snouts are in the trough'. We only have to look at the recent example of how Peter Hain's political career was destroyed by bloggers to understand that the Internet and blogs can make or break the political landscape. The so-called 'Dead Trees Press' like the Western Mail are totally reliant on Assembly advertising revenue to survive and so cannot be trusted to provide impartial or investigative reporting or the intelligent scrutiny that is needed to keep people informed.

Visit CAMBRIA POLITICO

One Wales Commitment (Non)Delivery Schedule

With regard to Y Byd and Welsh Medium print see this commitment:

'Commitment 193- Expand funding and support for Welsh medium magazines and newspapers, including establishment of Welsh language daily newspaper.'

Result Key: PW AD AD ( = preparatory work done and progress dependent on this)

'Minister announced in Plenary on 5 February the Welsh Assembly Government response to Dr Tony Bianchi’s report. A review of the Welsh Language Print Media. The Welsh Books Council will be leading on implementing this commitment.'

For the entire schedule of commitments go here .

ANOTHER CHANCE TO SAVE OUR POST OFFICES

This is something understandable from the Tories that seems worth supporting.
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Welsh Conservatives Press Release

Welsh Conservatives will tomorrow call on Labour and Plaid Cymru to stand up for their constituents and vote to halt Post Office closures.

The party has tabled a motion calling on all members of the National Assembly to unite against the Westminster government’s post office closure programme.

It follows a Conservative motion in the Commons last month on the same issue which saw Gordon Brown’s majority cut to just 20.

Nineteen Labour MPs backed the motion and voted against the Government.

But despite campaigning to save post offices in their own Welsh constituencies, almost all Welsh Labour MPs backed the Government.

Several Government MPs were accused of hypocrisy following the vote – after publicly campaigning to save local Post Offices in their constituencies, then abstaining or voting against the motion.

A third of the Welsh post office network will have closed under Labour by the end of the current consultation period.

Some 324 branches in Wales have already closed since Labour came to power in 1997.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s Assembly debate Shadow Social Justice Minister and North Wales AM Mark Isherwood said:

“Welsh Conservatives believe this is an important issue, and we will continue to fight to stop this harsh closure programme.

“For the politicians who say they are against the cuts, our party is giving them the chance to do something about it.

“Labour MPs have already betrayed voters by campaigning against Post Office closures in their constituencies but doing nothing about it at Westminster.

“Communities across Wales will suffer if these closures go ahead, and it will be the most vulnerable in our societies that come off worse.

“If Labour MPs have not got the bottle to stop the closure programme, then their Assembly Members have a chance to join with us and send a clear message by voting here to stop the cuts.”

WALES’ BIGGEST BOOK HEADS FOR PATAGONIA

WALES’ BIGGEST BOOK HEADS FOR PATAGONIA WITH A SPECIAL MESSAGE

A message from First Minister Rhodri Morgan is to be included in a copy of Wales’ biggest ever book, which is to be given to the people of Patagonia.

During a special ceremony held at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay yesterday [1 April 2008], the First Minister and Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones signed a copy of the Gwyddoniadur, the new Welsh language encyclopedia which was published earlier this year, which will be taken to Patagonia and displayed at the Welsh Library in the Gaiman in the province of Chubut.

Rhodri Morgan said: “The Encyclopaedia of Wales is an excellent source of knowledge for everyone who has an interest in Wales and the Welsh. It has been described as ‘the first and last great book of Wales, no home should be without one’ so it is appropriate that a copy should be given to the people of Patagonia, where a great interest in our culture and heritage is still enjoyed thousands of miles away in South America.”

Elin Jones said: “I really hope the people of Patagonia will enjoy learning about Wales from the Encyclopaedia. It's important we share our cultural heritage and this book brings together so much fascinating information in one place.”

The encyclopedia will be delivered to Patagonia by Rhobert ap Steffan from Llangadog, Carmarthenshire, who will be going to Argentina later this year to raise money for Mencap Cymru on a Trans-Andean trek and to conduct studies into the relationship between the Welsh pioneers in Patagonia and the indigenous Tehuelche Indians. Rhobert is Research Editor of Cambria Magazine based in Nantgaredig.

To support Mencap Cymru please visit: www.justgiving.com/rhobert

Photos: Elin Jones, Rhobert ap Steffan and Ashley Drake, (Director, University of Wales Press), Rhodri Morgan.